In 1967 CE, on the island of Santorini (or Thera), Spyridon Marinatos began excavating with a team into large deposits of pumice and ash, hoping to discover a vital Minoan settlement. The Greek archeologist believed that the eruption of Thira caused the collapse of Minoan civilization, and that evidence of their existence lay buried under layers of volcanic material and earth (“Archaeology/Akrotiri Digs”). Within a few years, the city of Akrotiri was uncovered, its public and private buildings, sewage systems, tools, furniture, and frescoes tampered with for the first time in approximately 3,600 years (“About Akrotiri”). However, the colorful wall paintings were the most intriguing aspect of the dig; at that time, they were considered to be the best preserved Mediterranean frescoes ever discovered from the Bronze Age ("Spyridon Marinatos").
Although initially destructive, the covering of ash and pumice preserved the elaborate frescoes found within the ancient city. Some of these wall paintings were discovered in a structure called the West House- named this because it was unearthed on the western half of the excavation site. The West House contained two rooms with frescoes- Rooms 4 and 5 (Sorenson 152 & Cartwright “Akrotiri Frescoes”); yet, the ruins of Room 5 were more lavishly decorated than Room 4, and contained “a miniature fresco frieze, which originally surrounded the upper part of all four walls” (Sorenson, Annette, pg. 151). The room was only 4 x 4 x 3 meters square and the images dated back to around 1,650 BCE (Strasser 4 & Stokstad 92). The small fresco frieze was positioned at eye level, and could be easily seen from any point in the small space. One of the most recognized and preserved parts of the frieze is the Flotilla Fresco- located on the top of the South Wall. Several pieces of information can be gathered about the Minoan culture from this one piece. By hypothesizing and comparing the fresco with similar art from trading civilizations, like Egypt, the painting’s similarities and differences can be highlighted. Many similarities exist between trading cultures, because the trade of items also brings about the trade of ideas and technology. These comparisons can help determine the reason a technique was used, the meaning of symbols and subjects, the cause of stylistic choices for the fresco, and the possible reason for the art’s creation. First, Minoan frescoes were created with a technique similar to one Egyptians used. Paints were created from minerals- like calcite, talc, and kaolinite- combined with alkaline resistant pigments and water. The pasty mixture emitted earth tones, bright blues and reds that are now associated with Bronze Age artwork (Westlake 7, 10-12). The Flotilla Fresco utilized these colors to create a cheerful and lively environment; this style contrasts heavily with the Egyptian’s more somber, methodical paintings. These tone difference can be explained by the art’s intended audience. Egyptian wall paintings within tombs or inside of palaces were created for Egyptian rulers as messages to their people and as part of a ritual to get into the afterlife; they were a display of power and a reminder of their importance or divinity. Minoan frescoes were found in both palace-like structures and upper class homes; their frescoes displayed several decorative aspects and could have been used as a display of wealth by the upper class. However, frescoes could also have been used to denote rooms for rituals and ceremonies, or to stand as a reminder of their dependency on the sea. The Flotilla Fresco displays both beauty and a narrative; it is believed to either be a recounting of a lost epic or a yearly festival dedicated to the life-giving sea. The two cultures also had a different approach to applying plaster. For most murals from 1,600 BCE, paint was layered over a base covering of limestone plaster. But, unlike the Egyptians, the Minoans painted on the limestone while it was still wet more often than when it was dry; this technique is called buon-fresco- or true fresco- and it required that the paintings be applied quickly and in sections. As the paint fuses completely with the wet plaster, the mural is more durable than fresco-secco ("Buon fresco"). Fresco-secco allows more detail and precision to be implemented into the painting, whereas buon-fresco preserves the brightness and hue of the color more adequately (Cartwright “Minoan Frescoes”). These benefits may explain why one culture would prefer one technique over the other. Second, the Minoans tended to create art centered around nature, landscapes, and special occasions- like festivals, or coming of age ceremonies- whereas the Egyptians used frescoes to immortalize rulers, and honor gods/goddesses. The difference in subject matter displays a difference in cultural values. Akrotiri was under a different type of governance; the Minoan people were not ruled by one leader or a pharaoh, but by a group of “aristocrats or aristocratic families who established a fluid and evolving power hierarchy” (Stokstad 84). This explains why the Minoans did not seem to utilize the hierarchic scale or create art centered around leader, but of daily life and nature. These two aspects were the most valued aspects of Minoan culture; several pieces of art are dedicated to nature and their culture’s uses of it. In the Flotilla Fresco, nature and humanity is abundant, colorful, and in harmony. Dolphins swim closely beside boats, animals run and hunt near the cities, and humans live closely within the mountainous earth. The fresco not only shows the people’s respect and reliance on nature, but also communicates a special occasion that celebrates these feelings. The Minoans’ unique style, values, and social structure is reflected in the Flotilla Fresco. The role of social class, the importance of nature, and the implication of religious activity are evident through imagery. The style of dress and boat used in the fresco are signs of class, wealth, and status. Egypt, like many other cultures, also used longer, more elaborate clothing as a sign of wealth and power. The figures in the fresco, although small and stylized, wear different styles of clothing. Individuals of the lowest status (either boatmen or a form of slave) wear only a cloth tied about the waist, and can be found rowing boats in the painting. Figures sitting and lounging in the more decorated ships don long robes, which denotes high status and may communicate that they are important participants in a ceremony or festival. Another sign of status in both cultures is the use and appearance of boats. In the Flotilla Fresco, boats range from plain and unpainted, to lavishly adorned with bells, structures for shade, ropes, painted animals, and flowers; these highly decorated boats are also oared by low-status members- another piece of evidence that these robed figures have wealth, status, and influence. The most elaborate boats are adorned with images of lions, which represent political and physical power in both Egyptian and Minoan cultures (Stokstad 92). In addition to the number of people and style of clothes, the number and appearance of decorated boats suggest that it may be a religious festival celebrating a Minoan value- sailing, the sea, or of nature in general (Cartwright “Akrotiri Frescoes”). Although Minoan frescoes were created a bit differently, the way in which figures are painted are very similar to the Egyptian style. Figures are shown in twisted perspective, with the chests displayed in a frontal position and the legs, feet, and head pointed as if in profile (Hendricks). Gender is also handled similarly by the two cultures; males are characterized by having a dark skin tone, whereas females were denoted by having much lighter skin colors. However, because the figures in this fresco are small, this can be difficult to perceive. Lastly, both cultures did not utilize perspective in their artwork, but relied on the positioning of objects, overlapping, and size. In the Flotilla Fresco, distance is indicated by positioning objects above or below another, and objects are all two-dimensional and seemingly flat. In conclusion, a lot of information about ancient civilizations can be gathered from one piece of artwork. Based on knowledge gathered from other civilizations that were known to have traded with the Minoans, the reasons for their stylistic choices can be inferred. The Minoans imported pottery and other artistic objects from the Egyptians and likely adapted their stylistic approaches to figures, symbols, and creating art; eventually, the culture made the style their own, and implemented their own values and concepts. Due to the differences in Minoan and Egyptian rule, the reason their artistic subjects differ can also be reasonably explained. Minoans were ruled by a group of ‘elites’ and the culture did not require images of rulers and kings, but of things that the culture valued, like the sea and daily activities. Much like the Egyptian’s concern with the afterlife and divinity, the Minoan’s value of ordinary life, festivals, nature, and the sea are evident and still communicable in the Flotilla Fresco. Work Cited “About Akrotiri”. Akrotiri Santorini Guided Tours. Notos Travel. Web. 5 Dec. 2015. “Archaeology/Akrotiri Digs”. Santorini.com. Santorini. Web. 5 Dec. 2015. Boundless. “Painting.” Boundless Art History. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Web. 6 Dec. 2015. "Buon fresco". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 6 Dec. 2015 Cartwright, Mark. “Akrotiri Frescoes.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia Ltd., 27 March 2014. Web. 6 Dec 2015. Cartwright, Mark. “Minoan Frescoes.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia Ltd., 29 May 2014. Web. 6 Dec 2012. "Fresco." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2015): 1. Academic Search Premier. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2015. Hendricks, Carol. “The Frescos of Akrotiri.” Art History Blogger. 5 Aug. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2015. "Spyridon Marinatos". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015 Sorenson, Annette, et. al. “Miniatures of meaning – interdisciplinary approaches to the miniature frescoes from the west house at Akrotiri on Thera.” (2013): 149-162. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. Stokstad, Marilyn & Michael Cothren. Art History (Volume 1). Pearson, 2014. Print. Westlake, Polly et. al. “Studying pigments on painted plaster in Minoan, Roman and Early Byzantine Crete. A multi-analytical technique approach.” Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. (2011): 1413-1432. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.
1 Comment
Cynthia McLaglen
10/21/2019 01:46:20 pm
I love to study all ancient places. My favourites are the Sumerians, Nineveh and the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh, (which were wrongly described by a few Romans as Babylon;- but Stephanie Dalley can write in Cuneiform, and speak in ancient Babylonian, and can translate the words of Sennacherib from his carved inscriptions of the Aqueduct he created in order that he might have more water not only for the Hanging Gardens but for his people, to properly cultivate the surrounding land with rich produce. My problem is that I want to visit the real places and not just study them from afar, and I am a carer so that is not possible.
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